Public Funding Finance Manager

About Axelera AI Axelera AI is a fast-growing fabless semiconductor company headquartered in the Netherlands, building high-performance, energy-efficient AI acceleration hardware and software (Metis and Europa product lines). We operate across the EU, the UK, Switzerland and the US, and are building a finance function ready to scale to public-company standards. Role Purpose This role owns public funding finance for the entire group and finance operations for our Italian entity. You will ensure that every euro of grant income and R&D incentive is correctly claimed, reported, audited and accounted for, and that the Italian entity is compliant, well-run and audit-ready. You will be the group’s subject-matter expert on grant compliance and a trusted partner to engineering, programme management and external advisers. Key Responsibilities 1. Group public funding management and reporting • Own financial reporting for all publicly funded projects, including European Commission programmes (e.g. Horizon Europe, EIC, EuroHPC/Chips JU) and national co-funding schemes across the group. • Prepare and submit periodic financial statements, cost claims and final reports in funder portals (e.g. the EU Funding & Tenders Portal) within deadlines. • Manage timesheets, personnel cost methodology, overhead/indirect cost calculations, subcontractor and equipment cost eligibility, and supporting documentation. • Coordinate with project coordinators, partners and technical leads to ensure costs are tracked, allocated and reported consistently with grant agreements. • Own the WBSO (Netherlands) application and reporting process and equivalent R&D incentives in other jurisdictions (e.g. UK R&D tax relief, Italian R&D tax credits, French CIR/CII, Belgian and Swiss schemes), working with local advisers. • Maintain a group-wide grant register covering award values, funding rates, claim schedules, cash receipts, clawback risk and compliance obligations. • Support grant accounting under IAS 20 (recognition, presentation, deferred income, receivables) in coordination with the group finance team, and support forecasting of grant cash flows and income. 2. Public funding audits and compliance • Act as the primary finance contact for funder audits, certificates on financial statements (CFS), reviews and ex-post controls. • Prepare audit files, coordinate auditor access to records, and manage responses and remediation. • Monitor changes in funder rules, state aid requirements and eligibility conditions, and advise the VP Finance on risk and impact. • Design and improve internal controls, policies and templates for grant compliance and cost tracking across entities. 3. Italian entity accounting and reporting • Own the accounting, month-end close and financial reporting for the Italian entity, in line with Italian GAAP (OIC) and group IFRS reporting requirements, via the group ERP (NetSuite). • Prepare statutory financial statements and supporting schedules, and manage the relationship with the Italian statutory auditor and/or board of statutory auditors. • Prepare group reporting packs, intercompany reconciliations and balance sheet reconciliations. • Oversee local payables, receivables, cash and banking, and payroll inputs, working with local providers. 4. Italian tax and compliance • Act as the day-to-day liaison with external tax advisers and accountants on corporate income tax (IRES/IRAP), VAT (IVA), withholding taxes, transfer pricing and periodic filings. • Ensure timely and accurate tax payments, returns and statutory filings, and coordinate local compliance (e.g. Intrastat, registers, regulatory submissions). • Support tax audits and authority queries, and flag exposures to the VP Finance. • Contribute to Italian regulatory and governance requirements, including AML/beneficial ownership documentation where required. 5. Business partnering and group support • Partner with engineering, programme management, HR and legal on funding opportunities, budgeting and compliance. • Support new grant applications with budget preparation, cost eligibility checks and financial sections of proposals. • Contribute to group finance initiatives such as process improvement, systems, forecasting and preparation for future capital markets readiness. Qualifications and Experience Essential • Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or similar. Professional qualification (Dottore Commercialista, ACCA, ACA, CPA or equivalent) is a plus. • Experience: 5+ years in finance, ideally including public funding or grant management within a technology, R&D-intensive or semiconductor environment, or in audit/advisory. • EU funding: Hands-on experience with EU-funded project financial reporting (cost eligibility, audit certificates, funder portals). • Italian technical knowledge: Strong working knowledge of Italian GAAP (OIC), statutory reporting, and Italian tax (IRES, IRAP, IVA). • IFRS: Working knowledge of IFRS and experience supporting group consolidation or reporting. • Audit and advisers: Experience managing statutory audits and working with external auditors and tax advisers. • Systems: Proficiency with ERP systems (NetSuite preferred) and advanced Excel. • Languages: Fluent Italian (written and spoken) and professional-level English. Desirable • Experience with IAS 20 grant accounting and R&D incentive schemes in multiple countries (WBSO, R&D tax credits, etc.). • Experience in a multi-entity, multi-currency, international group. • Familiarity with state aid rules and clawback/recovery mechanisms. • Experience in a scale-up or high-growth environment. Key Competencies • Precision and ownership: meticulous with detail and deadlines, accountable end to end. • Technical credibility: able to translate grant rules into practical processes for engineers and project leads. • Communication: clear and confident with funders, auditors, advisers and non-finance colleagues, in Italian and English. • Independence: comfortable working autonomously in a small, fast-moving team. • Structured thinking: builds repeatable processes, controls and documentation. What We Offer • A pivotal role in a high-growth deep-tech company at the forefront of AI hardware. • Direct exposure to group leadership and a broad, international scope. • Competitive salary and equity participation. • Hybrid working and opportunities for professional development. At Axelera AI, we wholeheartedly embrace equal opportunity and hold diversity in the highest regard. Our steadfast commitment is to cultivate a warm and inclusive environment that empowers and celebrates every member of our team. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to join us in shaping the future of AI. Axelera AI may at times work with external parties (such as recruiters, headhunters, or executive search firms) to support both publicly posted and confidential searches. Our hiring process never involves any payment from candidates, and we will never require you to use a particular paid service to be considered for a role. If you have been approached by someone on our behalf and want to confirm it’s legitimate, please contact us directly at [email protected].